Adjustable bathtub seat attachment



April 5, 1938. G. B. BENTZ ADJUSTABLE BATHTUB SEAT ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

April 5, 1938. G. B. B ENTZ I ADJUSTABLE BATHTUB SEAT ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Filed Aug. 30, 1957 Patented Apr. 5 1938 UNITED STATES ADJUSTABLE BATHTUB SEAT ATTACHIWENT George B. Bentz, New York, N. Y.

Application August 30,

9 Claims.

The invention aims to provide a new and improved seat attachment for bathtubs embodying unique provision for adjusting according to the width of the tub upon which the attachment is 5 used.

A further object is to provide novel means whereby the seat may be vertically adjusted.

A still further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive, yet efiicient and desirable construction.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a relatively wide tub, showing one form of the invention engaged therewith.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the attachment adjusted to fit a comparatively narrow tub.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail perspective views, the positions shown corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing in elevation a different form of construction engaged with a relatively wide tub.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the same device adjusted for engagement with a com- 30 paratively narrow tub.

Fig. '7 is a detail perspective view of one end of the attachment shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a different form of construction in which provision is madefor vertically adjusting the seat.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view showing a construction similar to that of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 but without the adjustment for different tub widths.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 illustrating a somewhat different pivotal connection between the seat and the pivoted tub-abutting member.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing provision which may be made for extending and retracting the length of the seat if desired.

In the various forms illustrated, the seat is denoted at 12, and while in most forms of construction, this seat may be inextensible, in other forms it may be of extensible and contractible nature as illustrated in Fig. 11. In Figs. 1 to 4, it may be assumed that the seat is of wooden construction but in the other views, a pressed or stamped sheet metal construction is disclosed.

In each form of construction, two tub-abutting 1937, Serial No. 161,650

' to 4, the bearings I'! which receive the horizontal portions 14 of the members 13, are formed on the ends of arms 18, said arms 18 being pivotally connected with the end portions of the seat 12 upon transverse horizontal axes in order that said arms may swing inwardly or outwardly longitudinally of the seat, to position the members 13 to abut the side walls 1-6 of a relatively wide tub (Fig. 1) or a comparatively narrow tub (Fig. 2). In the preferred construction, there is a rock shaft 19 underlying each end portion of thelseat I2 and turnably mounted in bearings 20 secured to said end portions, the arms 18 toward either end of said seat being integral with the rock shaft at said end.

The upper and lower ends of the side members l5 of the tub-abutting members 13 are provided with laterally bent terminals 21 to abut the inner sides of the side walls l6, and if desired, said terminals could of course be provided with tips of rubber or the like to overcome possibility of injuring the enameled surface of the tub. This is also true of the various other forms of con- 35 struction hereinafter described.

In Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive, the bearings 22 which receive the rod'portion 14, are connected with the seat 12 by being formed integrally therewith, and in all of these figures except Fig. 10, the side 40 members 15 of the tub-abutting members I3 are disposed at the outer sides of said bearings 22. In Fig. 10, however, the side members I5 are disposed at the inner sides of the bearings 22, and the rod portion 14 projects laterally outward to some extent from said side members as denoted at 14 for reception in said bearings.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the upper and lower ends of the side members 15 are provided with relatively long terminals 23 projecting laterally in one direction and with comparatively short terminals 24 projecting laterally in the opposite direction. The members l3 of these views may be swung to either of two inverted positions to dispose either the 5 terminals 23 outwardly for contact with the tub walls It, or the comparatively short terminals 24 outwardly for contact with said walls. When the terminals 23 are presented outwardly, the attachment is in condition to fit a comparatively wide tub. When the terminals 24 are presented outwardly, the attachment will flt a narrow tub. Intermediate adjustments for tubs of other widths may of course be provided by turning one mel her [3 to present the terminals 23 outwardly and by turning the other member I3 to present the terminals 24 outwardly.

In Fig. 8, the side members l are provided at one end with lateral terminals 25 to lie upon the tub rim when the member I3 is in one position. The other ends of the side members 15 are provided with similar terminals 26 to lie upon the tub rim when said member I3 is turned to an inverted position. The rod portion M in this form of construction is closer to the terminals 26 than to the terminals 25. Thus, whenv member 13 is positioned as shown in Fig. 8, the seat I 2 will be relatively low but when said member I3 is swung to an inverted position, the seat will be supported at a higher position.

In Fig. 9, the member I3 is similar to that shown in Figs. 5 to 7 but its ends are provided with lateral terminals 21 of uniform length. This is also true of the member l3 shown in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 11, a seat is shown composed of telescopically connected sections [2 and I2 each of said sections having downwardly bent longitudinal flanges 28 and inwardly bent longitudinal flanges 29 at the lower edges of said flanges 28, the flanges of the two sections being slidably engaged. To one of the flanges 29 of the section l2 a spring arm 30 is secured, said spring arm having an upwardly projecting pin 3| passing through said flange and receivable in any of a plurality of openings 32 formed in the contacting flange of the section l2". By downwardly springing the arm 38 to withdraw the pin 3| from the opening 32 in which it was previously received, the seat sections I2 and I2 may be relatively adjusted to vary the length of the seat as required, the pin 3| being received in another of the openings 32 to hold said sections in relatively adjusted position. A seat of this nature, while usable with any form of the invention, is particularly adapted for use with the forms of construction shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, in which no other provision is made for adapting the attachment to tubs of different widths.

In the foregoing, numerous forms of the invention have been explained for illustrative purposes, but it is to be understood that the device may also take other forms within the scope of the invention as claimed. While I have explained inward and outward swinging of the arms l8 (Figs. 1 to 4) to adjust the attachment for tubs of different widths, such swinging by changing the over-all length of the attachment, may be used to vary the height of the seat l2 in a tub, for the shorter the attachment, the lower it will fit in the tub. Similarly, while I have described inversion of the members l3 (Figs. 5 to 7) to adjust for difierent tub widths, such inversion may also be done to support the seat at one height or another.

I claim:

1. An attachment of the class described commeans connected with the ends of said seat, and

two H-shaped members disposed at said ends of said seat and having their horizontal portions received pivotally in said bearing means, the vertical portions of said H-shaped members being provided with means to engage the side walls of a bathtub.

2. An attachment of the class described comprising a seat, transverse horizontal bearing means connected with the ends of said seat, and two H-shaped members disposed at said ends of said seat and having their horizontal portions received pivotally in said bearing means, the vertical portions of said H-shaped members being provided with lateral terminals to abut the side walls of a bathtub.

3. An attachment of the class described comprising a seat, transverse horizontal bearing means connected with the ends of said seat, and two H-shaped members disposed at said ends of said seat and having their horizontal portions received pivotally in said bearing means, the vertical portions of said H-shaped members being provided with means to engage the side walls of a bathtub when said H-shaped members are in one position, said H-shaped members being provided with additional means to engage the bathtub side walls when said H-shaped members are swung to inverted positions.

4. An attachment of the class described comprising a seat, transverse horizontal bearing means connected with the ends of said seat, and two H-shaped members disposed at said ends of said seat and having their horizontal portions received pivotally in said bearing means, the vertical portions of said H-shaped members being provided with relatively long lateral terminals projecting in one direction from their ends to abut the side walls of a wide bathtub, said vertical portions being also provided with relatively short lateral terminals to abut the side walls of a narrow tub when said H-shaped members are swung to inverted position.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1; said horizontal portions of said H-shaped members being closer to one end of said vertical portions than to the other end thereof, for vertically adjusting the seat by simply swinging said H- shaped members to inverted positions.

6. An attachment of the class described comprising a seat, arms pivoted to the end portions of said seat on transverse horizontal axes to swing outwardly or inwardly, the free ends of said arms having bearings parallel with said axes, and H-shaped tub-abutting members having their horizontal portions rotatably mounted in said bearings, said tub-abutting members having portions to abut the side walls of tubs of different widths when said arms are swung inwardly or outwardly.

'7. An attachment of the class described comprising a seat, tub-abutting members at the ends of said seat, and swingable means pivotally carrying said tub-abutting members and pivotally mounted on said seat, said swingable means being swingable longitudinally of said seat to position said tub-abutting members to abut the side walls of a narrow or wide tub.

8. An attachment of the class described comprising, a seat, tub-abutting members invertably connected with the end portions of said seat, said tub-abutting members having relatively long means to abut the side walls of a wide tub when said members occupy one position, and having relatively short means to abut the side sition or inverted, the pivots connecting said walls of a narrow tub when said members are inverted.

9. An attachment of the class described comprising a seat, tub-abutting members invertably pivoted to the ends of said seat and adapted to engage the side walls of a tub when in one potub-abutting members with said seat being closer to one end of said members than to the other I end thereof, for vertically adjusting the seat simply by inverting said members.

GEORGE B. BENTZ. 

